10 Times Doctor Who REFUSED To Give Fans What They Wanted
"I want doesn't get" - Ancient Gallifreyan Proverb.
It takes just a cursory glance at social media to see that Doctor Who fans can be a demanding bunch. When they're not demanding that the BBC promote Doctor Who like it's a billion-dollar Marvel movie, they're calling for the head of the incumbent showrunner. Some Doctor Who fans are so intense that they write and produce a charity single to call for the show's return.
In some respects, this entitlement has been earned. After all, it was fans like Nick Briggs, Stephen Cole, Paul Cornell, and many others who kept the flame alive during the dark days of the 1990s. It's not those fans who demand changes be made or that characters return, however.
Fan service has become an increasing problem in the contemporary pop culture landscape, and Doctor Who isn't immune to this. While it's never been confirmed, the Chibnall/Whittaker era's shift in tone substantially between the slower-paced season 11 and the fast-paced, continuity-heavy season 12 felt suspiciously like a show recalibrating to meet fan expectations.
Mostly though, Doctor Who sticks to its guns, and here are ten times that the show refused to give the fans what they wanted.
10. Bringing Back Susan
If it's not the Rani, it's the Doctor's granddaughter Susan whom fans want to return to Doctor Who. There have been references to the Doctor's family in the new series, but to date she's not returned. Some fans thought The Woman from The End of Time was Susan, rather than the Doctor's mother, as RTD intended.
Peter Capaldi even mentioned possibly seeing the Doctor's granddaughter again in an interview while he was playing the Doctor. Capaldi's love of being photographed with classic companions on the Doctor Who set only fuelled a desire to see Susan and her grandfather reunited.
The granddad bit between the Doctor and Bill in Knock Knock, and the photo on the Doctor's desk at the university only seemed to hint to viewers that a Susan return was imminent. When David Bradley's appearance as the First Doctor was revealed, it was surely a shoo-in that Susan would return for the final Christmas special.
Whether it was a deliberate troll or not, the reintroduction of Bill in Twice Upon A Time takes slightly too long, especially as everyone already knew Pearl Mackie was coming back. As the figure emerges from the shadows, fans could be forgiven for anticipating the return of Carole Ann Ford. Perhaps one day, she will come back.